'Freeriding' B.C. Newspapers Costing Recycling Program Millions

The Ministry of Environment has sent a notice to some of B.C.'s major newspapers demanding their compliance with new recycling regulations.

The province is warning B.C.'s major newspapers to get in line, after they failed to contribute an estimated $16 million in fees to the province's new recycling program.

Documents obtained by CBC News show three publishers representing The Vancouver Sun and The Province and two community newspaper groups — Black Press and Glacier Media — all received warning letters from the Ministry of Environment late last year, demanding they comply with B.C.'s new regulations.

The rules, which came into effect, May 19, 2014, require the producers of all packaging and printed paper (PPP) in B.C. to pay for the cost of recycling the products they sell consumers.